On the Horus Heresy 2023-2024 Road Map

I really enjoyed seeing the sneak peaks coming out of the Warhammer Festival today. Despite doing other things in real life on this long holiday weekend, I kept on checking up on what the gossip was via the Warhammer Community and other places and: I'm impressed.

The news of the PLASTIC lancer knight is just amazing! SIGN ME UP! Hey GW, can I get a free "sample" if I review it?! Only half joking of course. Just take my money regardless. I'm there!

Although I am bit less excited about the new Imperial Fists and Sons of Horus characters, I have to say that they look awesome. I'm more excited about the new black book to be candid! I hope it really does have something for everyone contained within its pages.

The plastic jump infantry is similarly very welcome news! I am not surprised about the mark of the armour and I can understand why they've done it this way, but as an Alpha Legion player, that's fine to me of course. What I don't quite understand is why they don't just put a lot of accessories (back packs and jump packs) along with lots of upgrades (bolter arms, left and right chainswords plus bolt pistols, and the odd power weapon, fists, claws and so in) in the same box and sell that at an increased price. Goodness knows that would go down a treat within the community and allow for plentiful bits box growth that would come in fabulously over the years ahead. Maybe I'm being silly on that point? Oh, and Mark 3 armour - NICE!

I find the road map hugely important news. There's going to be a Primarch for Autumn? Which one? They've done all of them! Perhaps daemonic Fulgrim? Omegon? I don't know, but please let it be one of those two! Khan on a bike? The plastic command squad on the horizon is going to be such a boon as well. 

And finally, EPIC! OR at least I interpret the EPIC announcement as EPIC! Am I wrong?

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Sokar Stormbird

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded down. I actually like this one, its just the points cost that bothers me most.

Background.

An ancient design that pre-dates even Great Crusade and harks back to the Unification of Terra, the Stormbird is ungainly in flight, unsightly in appearance, but gets the job done. Where the job is defined as forcing a landing zone or forward position.

Strengths.

Two void shields that can be extended, and a whopping 52 transport capacity! Oh, and a transport bay and auxiliary vehicle bay. Plentiful las cannons, as well as hell strike missiles. 

Weaknesses.

AV=12 on the rear. 

This is a great craft, but the points cost is a significant deterrent here. It certainly is one for the collectors and is ALWAYS well regarded on the table top for the sheer audacity of fielding it and the rarity with which it is seen. I actually like it a whole lot, but wow - the real world financial cost combined with points cost in game makes this a rare one to see in person. And given I tend to play at lower points levels games, I guess I just don't see it much!

Builds.

Stormbird with no further upgrades (850 points)

Gone are the orbital strikes in second edition, but hey, can't have everything and the macro bomb clusters don't justify getting rid of the hellstrike missiles. Keep it simple for second edition. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Thunderhawk Gunship

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️

2.5/5 stars, rounded down. I want to like it more than this, I really do.

Background.

Combining void warfare alongside regular atmospheric attack vectors, the thunderhawk is a nice all rounder for a Lords of War choice. It effectively fill in the gap between the larger stuff that the Imperium uses, and things like the Storm Eagle. It was a late Crusade development and saw use by both sides in the Heresy.

Strengths.

I like very much the option to take a center line turbo laser destructor! Although it is points cost heavy, the weapon is just amazing and really cannot be overlooked. Similarly the flare shield is an almost automatic inclusion as well (you will want to take that OR the diffraction grid as a default position).

The number of passengers has increased from first edition from 30 to 32 which is nice, along with the rear armour that is now 12. 

Weaknesses.

Oddly, the craft is no longer a super heavy. The immediate consequence of this is that it cannot fire everything every turn any longer. That sucks.

The movement has also changed to a flat 18. I guess this is tolerable.

What is truly a weakness is the all around AV=12 along with "only" 9 hull points. This is not a very durable craft fundamentally and what you are paying in points cost (and indeed: cold hard currency for the model) makes it not really worth it overall which explains the number of stars I've given at at the start. I mean, the model is cool, but the cash you have to part with for buying it is substantial even for savings and when coupled with the fact you won't really be playing it below something like 3500 points (rounded -- its really 3300), it isn't worth it for me personally. 

Builds.

Thunderhawk with Centre line Turbo Laser Destructor, Flare Shield (825 points).

The best build available in my opinion. I wouldn't be bothering with the macro bombs - they're a bit rubbish in exchange for the hell strike missiles. 

Hobby: Iron Warriors Cataphractii Terminator

Another Iron Warriors terminator this morning - this is a standard cataphractii terminator with a chain fist on the left arm. 

I really love the dynamism in the new plastic miniatures to say the least. The fluidity of the movement that one can achieve even with the bulky terminators is a tremendous asset to the range. This particular battle brother has been painted up in my standard lead belcher approach to the Iron Warriors coupled with Nuln oil weathering and picking out selected armour parts in the lighter silver colours. Finish includes decals as well as the Armageddon Dunes base highlighted with Eldar Flesh dry brushing - including some on the feet and lower legs to tie the miniature into the rest of the base. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Falchion

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, rounded down. Its a mobile volcano cannon and I would give 5/5 if it weren't for the rear armour of the chassis.

Background.

It is a volcano cannon on wheels. Sharing the same chassis as the shadowsword and others, the Flachion was developed during the great crusade to take down the largest of foes and assorted monsters. Of course, its role as a titan destroyer only came later with the outbreak of the Heresy, but it proved no less effective. 

Strengths.

Twin. Linked. Volcano. Cannon. 

I mean, range of 120 inches, with a large blast that ignores cover and is a destroyer hit is amazing. And that is before we say S=14 at AP=1. Boom. Drops the mic. I'm done here. 

Weaknesses.

The lascannon arrays are overkill. But you don't care. The rear armour is only 12. But again, you just won't care. Park it at the backfield corner and just enjoy your apocalypse game. 

Builds.

Falchion, Las Cannon Array Sponsons (650 points)

A naked version. I wouldn't bother with any of the upgrades except maybe a hunter killer missile. Not sure on that even. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Fellblade

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, rounded down. Little not to like about a 100 inch range weapon you can sit at the backfield all day long. 

Background.

A variant of the Baneblade that in this edition comes with the Imperial Army rather than the legions, the Fellblade features an advanced accelerator cannon. This in turn was only possible due to the Crusade that conquered new planets for the Emperor and returned such technologies back to the hands of Terra and humanity more widely. 

Strengths.

Let's just take a moment to think about what a 100 inch range is. If a usual play table is 6ft by 4ft, it can reach everywhere. Of course, such a range is better suited to Apocalypse style battles, and no one would deny that. With some massive blasts and AP3 at S=8, the HE shells are marine killers. With the AE shells, we get S=10 at AP2 which is even better, but a smaller blast and meant more for armour destruction. Both are viable and when on target will be devastating. The demolisher cannon on the front feels like an afterthought, but is no less viable. The lascannon arrays are great sponsons, and the front mounted heavy bolter just not needed, but hey, why not. 

Weaknesses.

Cheaper than the Glaive, but it shares that same vulnerability in terms of rear armour. However, it doesn't have to get close. In fact, you could park it at the back of the field in a corner quite happily for most of the game and not take too many risks potentially if you can figure out lines of sight. Worth the points, and I like it. 

Builds.

Fellblade, Las Cannon Array Sponsons (650 points)

This is the naked version. The pintle weapons are not quite worth it, but if I were taking them, then the multi meltas and the havoc launchers would be near the top of the list to complement the range of the demolisher cannon a little bit. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Glaive

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5/5 stars, rounded down. I do like the Glaive, but I just think there's better options for the points cost - I can't really move past the points cost as a reason NOT TO take it. 

Background.

The Glaive (a.k.a. Fellglaive) mounts a primary volkite carronade which costs a lot in terms of resources according to the background, but is totally justified against certain xenos that the Great Crusade needed to vanquish. It found use in all legions, but perhaps never in great numbers. 

Strengths.

The Volkite Carronade is the main strength here, as it is a heavy beam weapon with all the usual volkite trouble that comes with that word at a reasonable strength but AP=3. As well, there's also the sponsons which can be las cannons of various kinds, the option for double pintle mounted weapons and all on board the fellblade chassis which although not a spartan, is very reasonable.

Weaknesses.

Very expensive. Vulnerable from the rear which makes it a sitting duck for speedy tank killer units, but it does have 12 hull points I guess. Not for me ultimately as I think the points are better spent elsewhere, but it will work wonders against certain armies (hordes, imperial army / cults, and mechanicum)

Builds.

Glaive, Las Cannon Sponsons, 2 Pintle Multi Meltas (740 points)

I wouldn't pay the points for this as there are better options, but there's no denying that the heavy beam volkite can be impressive situationally. 

Hobby: Iron Warriors Legion Reaper Autocannon Terminator

While I am still enjoying a bit of a break, here's yet another conversion that I undertook and painted up. This one is a reaper autocannon terminator for the Iron Warriors. I have taken the reaper autocannon from the older chaos space marine terminator set. It is not a fit by any means, so it had to be extensively filed down and even some green stuff used to paper over the cracks between each of the parts. Can't recommend doing this conversion unless you are like me and really keen for the aesthetic.

 

So why this particular look then? Well, as with some of my Alpha Legion forces, I wanted to have a few marines in the Iron Warriors force that resemble or give a hint at what they might ultimately become. This particular marine is obviously not there yet, but perhaps heralds what might come. The chain fist on the left arm is to go with the rest of the squad which is dedicated to dreadnought hunting (or similar). The painting scheme follows my now standard approach for this army of using lead belcher as the base and working up from there with different silvers. This particular marine does have a few more hazard stripes than the standard marine, but that's fine. Back to regular posts next week - promise!

Hobby: Iron Warriors Legion Thunder Hammer Terminator

A small hobby update for the long holiday weekend - a painted Iron Warriors legion thunder hammer terminator!

Painting follows a fairly standard formula for the Iron Warriors featuring lead belcher as the primary base and layer, followed by highlighting in progressively lighter tones of silver. I've selected some blues for the tip of the thunder hammer to give it a bit of an accent among the rest of the painting which sets it off very nicely, without actually having lightning cascading around the weapon. Not quite sure if I like it or not, but I can live with it. Decals are from the forge world Iron Warriors sheet and the base is Armageddon dunes with highlighting and dry brushing in elf flesh. I might add a bit more to the base, but otherwise I'm calling this one done and table top ready. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Typhon Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5/5 stars, but rounded down here. It is like a vindicator, but bigger, and as such I like it!

Background.

Joking aside, the Typhon really is very much like an up-scaled vindicator. Invented with the collaboration of Perturabo of the Iron Warriors, this is a rapid deployment solution to siege breaking. And a powerful one to boot.

Strengths.

I love the dreadhammer. With S=12 in this edition, it really is the weapon to destroy most things with. A nice large blast accompanies it with rending, sunder and no less than FOUR lots of brutal. Ouch. This artillery is going to hurt. 

Of course, this comes on top of the spartan-like tank with the flare shield. I just love it.

Weaknesses.

Very short range. Very. And expensive. But you know what, I still love it all the same. If it were slightly longer range I would give it a full 5 stars as I wouldn't be able to help myself! I might have mentioned I love this one!

Builds.

Typhon, Las Cannon Sponsons (435 points).

Move close and fire that dreadhammer! I'd be tempted by some volkite or heavy flamers for the side sponsons here to be honest. Pintle might be nice as a multi-melta to complement the range offered. Searchlights is one to leave to lesser vehicles. And the hunter killer missile is to taste. 

Horus Heresy 2e Review: Legion Cerberus Squadron

Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5 stars. I'm a fan of the neutron laser!

Background.

In the calculus of warfare, the legions know that anyone crewing these beasts will require re-building at some point in the future, or face certain death from exotic radiation. Fundamentally, this is a spartan variant that mounts a neutron laser to the front and represents a threat to even titan class enemies. 

Strengths.

With S=10, AP=1, ord=4, shock pulse, and 3 lots of concussive, the major weapon alone is a massive weapon that is well noted for its killing potential against other vehicles. 

The protection from AV=14 on the front and sides is of course strong as well particularly when coupled with the flare shield. It also has customization potential for the sponsons and pintle which is the icing on the cake. 

Weaknesses.

Expensive. But everything that is a Lord of War is. 

Builds.

Cerberus, Las Cannon Sponsons (435 points).

Shoot your neutron laser every turn and target those high value targets. Good luck!

Large Update to the Horus Heresy 2e Summary Page

It is long overdue, but I have spent the past couple of days updating the Horus Heresy 2e Summary Page which is permanently linked from the top right of the blog for ease of access. To round out this post, I thought I'd also collect together some immediate thoughts and questions that I get asked.

Where are we up to then?
Every legion is done with one exception: Dark Angels. They will be coming soon enough. 
All core units are done, with one category exception: Lords of War. These will also be coming in the weeks ahead. 

Whats after that?
One of either Mechanicum or the new Black Book when it arrives. I haven't decided yet and it depends on timing I guess. 

"I have a question for you..."

Please do feel free to email if you want, and leave comments. Sometimes I make whole posts out of your inquiries to me. I value your feedback too, since I do make mistakes (copy and paste is fairly deadly afterall). Ratings out of 5 are obviously subjective though as are some of my comments about the units I review.

"Which legions do you regularly play with and against?"
I mainly play Alpha Legion. When not playing Alpha Legion, I play Iron Warriors which started with the second edition release. Both of these I happily play as either loyalist or traitor.
I am known to play Shattered Legions as well (Raven Guard, Salamanders, and Iron Hands). If you force me, I will also play daemonic Word Bearers and friends for a laugh once in a while.

I am known for playing at mid- to low-points value games as well, along with extended campaigns. Largely because high points value games take too long to complete on a given day given family and everything else I have to do in real life. Low points value games are something that I feel strongly about - people should play them more often!

I have experienced playing against every legion there is. As well as mechanicum, and all the other factions.

If you were to ask me which legions I play least against then the arguably surprise answer is Sons of Horus and Imperial Fists. I'm not even joking and I know what day it is today!